This invention relates generally to fuel processing apparatus for diesel powered devices and particularly, to a fuel processor having a water separating and heating housing mounted in side-by-side relation to a removable filtration unit.
In the past when diesel fuel was plentiful and relatively inexpensive there were significantly fewer problems with the quality of diesel fuel because of the substantial competition between sellers of the fuel. Refineries, distributors, and retailers were careful to keep water out of the fuel, and they usually did not pump out the heavy settlings from the bottom of their fuel storage tanks. In more recent times, with shortages of oil, fuel suppliers can sell essentially all of their available oil with little difficulty. Additionally, fuel suppliers in the past have blended kerosene and other fuels with lower cold and pour points with diesel fuel to facilitate cold weather flow and use. Fuel allocations due to government regulations and oil shortages have now made it almost impossible to continue this practice. The result has been a distinct tendency toward lesser quality fuel containing substantially more impurities such as water and particulate materials which are very disruptive to proper operation of diesel engines and other diesel fuel consuming devices.
In order to overcome the above-mentioned fuel quality problems, operators of diesel equipment are incorporating fuel conditioning devices which serve as water separaters and/or impurity filters. Several of such devices are described in my issued U.S. Pat. Nos.: 4,368,716, 4,428,351, 4,395,996; 4,421,090; and by copending patent application, Ser. Nos.: 463,041 filed Feb. 1, 1983; 573,292, filed Jan. 23, 1984; and 624,413 filed June 25, 1984. These patents and patent applications are hereby incorporated by reference. In addition to the structures described by these reference patents and patent applications, it is further desirable to provide a fuel processor apparatus which can be mounted in locations where height limitations are imposed. As with any type of fuel processor, serviceability in terms of particulate filter replacement, and efficiency in removing water and other impurities are essential.
In view of the above, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a new and improved fuel processor apparatus for removing water and other impurities from diesel fuel. It is a further object to provide such a fuel processor device which can be mounted in locations where vertical height restrictions are imposed. Further objects of this invention include providing a fuel processor apparatus having an easily removed filter assembly and further, one which performs well in terms of water separation and particulate filtration performance.
The above principal objects of this invention are achieved by employing a housing for water separation and fuel heating which communicates via a head cavity with a particulate filter, preferably of the spin-on variety, which is aligned in substantially side-by-side relation with the water separation housing. In accordance with a first embodiment of this invention, the head cavity is provided in the vertically uppermost portion of the fuel processor device. According to a second embodiment of this invention, the fuel processor and filtration device are reversed from that of the first embodiment such that the head cavity is located at the vertically lower end of the fuel processor device.